Workers from Gregor Contracting of Renfrew remove topsoil at the entrance of Preston Park to make way for a new parking lot. Contractors are also installing new water and sewer lines as well as new bathrooms.

Erratic weather in the South has delayed installation of a bathroom facility at Butler Township's Preston Park.

The township's $812,117 upgrade project on the 100-plus acres at the park at 415 S. Eberhart Road began earlier this year with the approval of several contracts.

The project's first stage of installing bathrooms was set to be complete Friday, but that was delayed until Thursday because of bad weather, according to Cheryl McNeill, township assistant manager.

McNeill said the prefabricated bathroom is shipping from the South, and erratic weather from Hurricane Laura has delayed the delivery.

McNeill expects the renovations to take several more weeks, but she noted further erratic weather could delay completion.

“It's a massive amount of work,” McNeill said, “I know some people feel that there are a lot of changes happening out there, but the restrooms and a significant increase in parking were not only necessary but have been called for in our master plan since it was completed in 2014.

“It's been a long time coming,” she added.

Once the bathroom is installed, the contractors will work on the other renovations.

“When you go in to do a project like this, you have to bring everything up to the current code and that involves a lot of engineering and planning. You can't just hook into things that are 90 years old. You have to make it under the current construction codes,” McNeill said.

The project also includes utility work, a stormwater pond, sewer lines, water lines and road paving. The project will create 67 parking spaces.

In June, township commissioners approved Gregor Contracting of Renfrew as the general contractor for the project at $440,735.

In July, the township awarded contracts to Wiest Asphalt and Paving to resurface 10 streets and pave an access road into the park.

Wiest's bid to resurface 10 streets was $284,847 and its bid for repaving the existing road and paving a new section of road to form a loop through the park with parking spaces was $86,535.

McNeill said less than 10 percent of the park is being disturbed by the project.

“It's going to be so much better for parking and everything will be ADA compliant,” McNeill said. “It will be so much better for something like Shakespeare in the park, events that draw a lot of people.”